The Stand-In Boyfriend

by Christina Benjamin

  When Michael had finally woken up from his nap, Parker went for a run to clear his head. Then he spent the rest of the day trying to catch up with Beth. He’d gotten the rundown from Brenna of what was on Beth’s list of things to do for the wedding, but Parker always seemed to be a few minutes behind. The story of his life.

  Finally, he gave up searching for Beth and went back to Harold’s room to get ready for the rehearsal. Now, Parker was waiting with the rest of the groomsmen and bridesmaids in the large white gazebo near the pond for the rest of the wedding party to show up.

  A moment later, Parker saw the blonde head he’d been waiting for bobbing his way. Beth was walking toward him, a vision in yellow. She was like a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day. Everything else around her paled in comparison. It was always that way. Ever since the first time Parker had truly let himself fall for Beth, the rest of the world had faded into hues of gray. Only Beth was in full Technicolor.

  Brenna, Barbara and a sour-looking woman in a power suit accompanied Beth. When the ladies joined the rest of the wedding party, it was clear to Parker that something was wrong. Brenna’s scowl was worse than usual as the suited woman called everyone to attention.

  “Welcome everyone. My name is Helen and I’m the event coordinator for the wedding. That means I’m the one with all the answers, so if you have questions, please come to me.” She gave a forced laugh. “Now, there’s been a slight complication. Our groom’s flight has been delayed.” Helen turned to Brenna and patted her arm. “But we’ve been assured he will arrive on time, so as they say, the show must go on.”

  Parker caught Beth’s eye and she gave him a shrug.

  Helen clapped her hands again. “Alright, everyone please line up. Men on the right, women on the left. No, no,” Helen called when the guys formed a haphazard line. “Line up in order according to your height.”

  When Parker finally found his appropriate spot in line, he realized that he wouldn’t be paired up with Beth. She was by far the shortest on the ladies side and he was one of the tallest guys. His heart fell. He’d been looking forward to walking down the aisle with her. He knew it didn’t really mean anything, but he’d been paired up with Beth at each of her sister’s other weddings and he’d been hoping for the same at Brenna’s.

  As if reading his thoughts, Brenna spoke up. “I don’t like it that way,” she said studying the organized rows of her wedding party. “I want my sisters to be paired with their spouses.”

  “I really suggest this arrangement,” Helen countered. “It’ll look stunning in the photos.”

  “I don’t really care about the photos,” Brenna hissed. “I’m the bride. Line up next to your husbands,” Brenna ordered.

  Parker tried to hide his smile. Hurricane Brenna was back, and for once she was benefiting him. Parker almost felt bad for Helen. The woman had no idea what kind of bridezilla she was messing with.

  After everyone rearranged themselves, Parker found himself standing across from Beth. He winked at her and she grinned back, flooding him with relief. If Beth was smiling, there was hope.

  Helen marched up and down the row examining them like a drill sergeant. She stopped between Parker and Beth looking them each up and down before turning to Beth. “You will be wearing heels tomorrow, I hope?”

  “Oh, I wasn’t planning on it,” Beth replied. “It’s hard to walk in the grass in heels.”

  “Heels would be best,” Helen retorted and then moved on.

  She was droning on about how they would line up during the ceremony, but Parker wasn’t paying any attention. He was too busy focusing on the familiar pattern of daisies speckling Beth’s aqua blue ballet flats.

  When Helen made a point of berating Beth’s footwear, Parker had glanced down and nearly choked. He knew those shoes. Beth got them when she was twelve. She swore they were good luck because she was wearing them when she landed her first big lead in a play. She always packed them, but rarely broke them out. What did it mean that she was wearing them now?

  Parker looked up in surprise. Beth was already staring at him, a knowing grin on her porcelain face. She was only a few feet away from him, but it felt too far. He wanted to pull her into his arms and demand to know why she was wearing her lucky shoes. Was it for Jared? Or for him?

  Beth

  It seemed like ages before Helen finally finished blabbing and let them practice walking to and from the gazebo. It was a wedding, not boot camp! But Beth shoved her frustration aside the moment she linked arms with Parker. His cologne filled her lungs, calming and exciting her all at once. Just being near him made her steadier. She savored the warmth that spread through her as their shoulders brushed. This was the first chance she’d had to speak to him alone all day. But when she tried to talk, she found her words caught in her throat. Luckily, Parker didn’t seem to have the same problem.

  The moment they were away from Helen’s earshot he said, “You’re wearing your lucky shoes.”

  “I know.”

  She watched as questions flickered in his brilliant blue eyes. She wanted to say, ‘They’re for you. I want to take charge of my life and hold on to my happiness. And you’re my happiness.’ But it sounded rushed and silly in her head.

  Beth reached up and touched her necklace for courage. “Let’s talk after dinner.”

  “Okay,” Parker replied, sounding even more bewildered than he looked.

  “Meet me in my room?”

  Parker nodded. And then the dance began all over again as Helen ordered them to line up in their places.

  31

  Beth

  Helen finally moved on to the ceremony after making the wedding party walk up and down the taped off section of the lawn acting as the aisle a dozen times. But when Helen called Brenna up to the run through the motions of the ceremony she down right refused.

  Brenna was sitting in the front row of white folding chairs that had been set up to resemble tomorrow’s arrangement. Beth’s parents and a few other family members were in attendance, quietly chatting. But when Brenna crossed her arms and shook her head like a toddler, a hush fell over everyone.

  “Brenna, sweetheart,” their mother coaxed. “What’s the problem?”

  “The problem is my fiancé isn’t even here for our rehearsal. I don’t want to stand up there without the groom. It’s bad luck.”

  Beth’s heart went out to Brenna. For as tough as she acted, she was still human. Brenna had already been through the heartache of her first love walking out on her. The thought of standing up at the altar alone must’ve been humiliating.

  “Sweetheart,” their mother pressed. “It’s not bad luck. Eric will be here tomorrow. This is just so everyone knows their queues for the big day.”

  Brenna looked near tears, an experience Beth had never witnessed. And maybe it was the necklace or perhaps it was the pure terror of hell freezing over if the most badass woman Beth knew started crying. But either way, something prompted her to step forward. “Mom, we’ve all been to a wedding before. Brenna doesn’t need to stand up here if she doesn’t want to.”

  And that’s when it happened. Brenna’s eyes locked onto Beth’s and they weren’t full of relief or sisterly love. Instead, Brenna had that mischievous twinkle in her eye that Beth had come to loath. Brenna perfected her pout and said, “Bethy, can you and Parker stand in for me? I just don’t think I’m up for it.”

  “That’s a brilliant idea,” Helen said running with Brenna’s suggestion. “Then our lovely bride can see how it will all unfold tomorrow.”

  Brenna grinned wickedly at Beth. “Perfect.”

  Parker

  Parker honestly didn’t know how he got roped into it, but suddenly he was being pushed up the stairs to the gazebo stage by the dictator in a power suit. His only salvation was that Beth was at his side. Parker took her hand, his heart pounding in his throat.

  He couldn’t stop thinking about what she wanted to talk to him about in her room after dinner. Was she about to break his heart? Or wa
s she going to choose him? His pulse raced and he could feel tiny beads of sweat forming on his brow. His glasses slid down his nose and he itched to push them back where they belonged, but Beth’s hands were in his and he couldn’t bring himself to let go.

  That notion made his heart twist. He couldn’t even let her hand go for a second to fix his glasses. How the hell was he going to cope with rejection if Beth’s lucky shoes weren’t meant for him?

  Beth gave Parker’s hands a squeeze and it breathed life back into him. He tried to smile at her but it felt more like a grimace.

  “Are you okay?” she whispered while Helen droned on in the background.

  “Yeah.”

  “You’re shaking.”

  “Oh.” He hadn’t realized he was, but now that she mentioned it . . .

  “I’m sorry,” Beth murmured. “I know you hate being the center of attention.”

  Normally he did, but right now, that was the least of his worries. All Parker could think about was that this could be the last time he held Beth’s hands. That last time he was this close to her.

  He studied her with the eyes of a painter—memorizing her down to the finest details. The way her hair looked like spun gold dipped in honey. How her eyes resembled dark chocolate, but in the sunlight he could see thin veins of bronze spinning out from the center like a starburst. And her lips . . . they looked bee-stung, plump and the color of barely ripe watermelon flesh.

  Parker wished it was just the two of them in the gazebo so he could kiss Beth one more time before she broke his heart.

  Beth

  Beth was worried about Parker. He looked like he was going to pass out. His hands were trembling in hers. A fierce protectiveness bubbled up from inside her. She never should’ve let Brenna make them do this. Her stupid sister may think she was helping, but Beth would not let it be at Parker’s expense.

  “Are you sure you’re okay?” Beth asked again.

  “I’m fine,” he said gently squeezing her hands. At least this time his smile met his eyes, but Beth still wasn’t convinced.

  Finally, Helen was finished explaining the music and order of things to Brenna and the rest of the wedding party. Beth just continued to be the good little placeholder until Helen would eventually shut up and dismiss them.

  Any minute now, Beth thought to herself.

  Helen came up to Parker and Beth smiling garishly. “Thank you stand-ins. You did splendidly.”

  Beth let out the breath she’d been holding. Surely that had satisfied Brenna’s game of matchmaker. Beth was slipping her arm through Parker’s preparing to exit the stage when she heard Brenna’s voice.

  “Wait! What about the vows?”

  Helen looked between Beth and Brenna. “Don’t you want to save those for tomorrow, dear?”

  “Yes, but I’m curious if anyone out here will be able to hear me.”

  “The minister will have a microphone, dear.”

  Brenna scowled, obviously furious that her event coordinator was thwarting whatever scheme she had up her sleeve. “I don’t want my vows to be broadcast over a microphone,” Brenna scathed. “I want them to be private.”

  “Oh, why of course. We can definitely arrange for that. I’ll just inform the minister to turn off the microphone while you and Eric exchange your vows.”

  Brenna ignored Helen’s response and settled her gaze on Beth. “Bethy, would you and Parker be dears and recite some vows so I can gauge the volume?”

  Beth laughed. “You’re joking, right?”

  “No, I really need you to do this for me, Bethy,” Brenna whined.

  “Well, sadly I missed the memo about preparing vows for tonight so it’s not gonna happen,” Beth replied sarcastically.

  “That’s okay. Just speak from the heart,” Brenna encouraged.

  Even her mother was nodding like she thought this was a good idea. Beth was seething. This was too much. She was not going to let her family push her around or subject Parker to anymore of Brenna’s crazy whims. She was about to say exactly that when Parker squeezed her hand.

  “Let’s do it,” he said.

  “What?”

  He shrugged. “It’s for the bride, right?”

  “Parker, you don’t have to.”

  “I want to.”

  Beth gave him a confused look, but Helen didn’t miss a beat. She shoved a wedding program into each of their hands. “Just read from the back,” she said shooing them back into the center of the stage.

  “Parker . . .” Beth started.

  “It’s okay. Besides, when else am I going to get to tell you all the ways I love you?”

  Beth felt her breath escape in a whoosh. Was Parker seriously about to profess his love for her in front of her entire family?

  Parker must’ve caught the worry in her eyes because he smiled and tapped the back of her program. “Corinthians.”

  Beth flipped the program over and saw the popular bible verse on the back. Her heart started beating again as feeling returned to her limbs with the tingle of pins and needles. He was only joking.

  “When you’re ready,” Helen called from the front row of chairs. “The groom starts.”

  Parker nodded and Beth watched his throat bob as he took her hand. “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud . . .”

  Beth was entranced as she listened to the words Parker spoke. She lost herself in the moment and everything else faded away. All she saw was the beautiful boy before her. She could feel the last shreds of hesitation guarding her heart fall away, and with it, all of her doubts.

  A sensation of all consuming love seared her. It was Parker. It had always been Parker. He was the one. It was so blindingly clear that she was in love with him that it nearly brought Beth to tears. But she blinked them back, not wanting to miss a moment of her perfect boy saying such perfect things.

  God, he was so devastatingly beautiful that sometimes it hurt to stare at him for too long. But she sighed, knowing she’d never look away. He was the sun and she was Icarus. She knew what it could cost to be this close to him, but she would take the risk, because feeling this way was worth it. She couldn’t lock her love away now even if she wanted to. She felt like it was shining from her every pore. And perhaps the most incredible thing Beth felt was freedom. She didn’t want to hide how she felt anymore.

  Parker finished the verse with conviction. “Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.”

  Beth had never heard truer words. They bolstered her, and for once she didn’t resist the emotions that swelled in her chest. She let her program flutter to the floor and took both of Parker’s hands in hers, finally knowing without a shadow of a doubt what she needed to do.

  Beth spoke from the heart, and as the words poured forth, they didn’t shock her. They felt natural and true. Until yesterday, Parker had never told Beth he loved her with words, but as he’d been reciting Corinthians, she realized he showed her how he felt every day. Parker was always patient, always kind. He never showed envy, never was prideful. He’d spent a lifetime by her side, protecting her, sustaining her . . . And her feelings for him had always been there, simmering below the surface. It was the reason she’d always felt so connected to him. They were more than friends. They’d always been. But it wasn’t until he read the verses out loud that Beth knew it clearly. Parker loved her beyond doubt, beyond reason.

  Parker had always shown her love. And because it was always there, building slowly, layer upon layer, it had been harder for Beth to recognized. But now that she had, she was blinded by it. Beth’s own heart burst forth, answering Parker’s proclamation with resounding love of its own.

  As Beth began to speak, she should have been scared. She should have been reluctant to profess such things in front of her family. But she was none of those things. With Parker’s strong hands in hers, Beth was confident that she was finally right where she be
longed.

  “Love is patient, love is kind,” she began. “Love is gradual. At least our love is. It shouldn’t have taken me this long to see it. No one has been more patient or more kind than you, Parker.”

  Beth watched Parker’s eyes dart around the gazebo as she strayed from the verse. She squeezed his hands in reassurance before continuing. “Love does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. Love is true. Just like you. And I want to be true to you. I want to promise you my heart, my future, my everything. No words can ever express what you mean to me, Parker. But I can promise you that I will always try.”

  When Beth finished speaking, Parker stood still as a statue. They stared at each other. Brown eyes meeting blue—earth converging with sky. Beth’s breath hitched as her heart sped up. She knew she’d gone to a place she’d never dared to dream of and now she couldn’t let go.

  It wasn’t until Helen clopped up to the stage that their spell was broken. “Lovely, just lovely,” Helen said collecting the program from Parker as well as the one Beth had dropped on the floor.

  Helen leaned in. “We couldn’t hear a thing in the front row and the bride is happy,” she whispered with relief. Then Helen turned to address the rest of the wedding party. “I think that concludes the rehearsal portion of the evening. Now on to dinner.”

  32

  Parker

  Parker’s head was spinning. He felt as though he were dreaming. He couldn’t wrap his mind around what happened between him and Beth in the gazebo. All she had to do was recite the verse on the back of the program, but she had done so much more. She’d given him hope. She’d opened up her heart and shown him a piece of herself, a piece that she’d always kept locked away. He’d never heard words so precious. They still echoed in his head.